Apparatus for conveying cigars and fillers



April 30, 1940. c, RGBER 2,198,976

APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING CIGARS AND FILLERS Filed Dec. 1, 1937 44': ATTO/FNf) Patented Apr. 30, 1940 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING oiGAns AND FILLE Constantin Friedrich Riiber, Dresden, Germany,

assignor to Universelle Cigarcttenmaschinenfabrik J. O. Mueller &

00., Dresden, Germany Application December 1, 1937, Serial No.1'l'7,469 In Germany January 26,- 1937 2 Claims. (Cl. 214-1) In the production or manufacture of cigars by mechanical devices it is the practice to transfer or shift the cigars or cigar fillers from one point to another, the transfer in certain instances being made by conveyors of well known types, and in certain other instances being made by transfer devices of the suction type which lift the cigar or cigar fillerv from one point and transfer it to another point for additional treatment. This invention relates to improvements in transfer devices of the suction type, and it is an object of. this inventionto provide a suction transfer or shifting device which can'be properly timed in its operation so that subsequent operations on'the cigar or cigar fillerwill not be delayed.

In the handling of cigars or cigar fillers by means of suction devices, it has be en found that not infrequently due to conditions raising which cannot be foreseen the cigars or cigarfillers carried by such transfer devices are not immediately delivered to the receiving member; thus disturbing the sequence of the following operations, and frequently causing damage to the mis-timed cigar or filler and in other ways affecting the smooth treatment of the cigars or fillers. It iSQtherefore, another object of this invention to provide in'a carrier of the suction type a positive releasing means effective at the moment the suctionpf the carrier is cut off so that there will not be any delay in the release of the cigar or filler.

It is a further cbject'of thisinvention to provide a releasing or discharging means in com bination with a suction carrier which is seconstructed that a multiple carrier maybe used and delivery ,or release of the cigars 'orlfillers effected in a single operation or'in sequence.

A still further object of this invention is to connect the cigar or" filler releasing means with the suction cut-off means in such a manner that release of the cigar or filler is effected simultaneously with the cutting off of the suction.

This invention is an improvement upon my copending application Serial No; 168,181 filed Oc-' tober 9, 1937. k I i With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention willbe more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claimsappended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein'like symbolsrefer to like or corresponding parts throughout the severalviews:

Figure 1 is adetailside elevation of a suction carrier, partly broken away and in verticalsection, having an improved releasing means :con-

structed according to anembodiment of this invention combined therewith, the section being taken substantially on the line l-'-l of Fig. 2.

Figure 2 is a top plan of the device.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of a modified form of this invention. I Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1. -i I Referring to the drawing, the numeral 6 designates generally a suction cylinder which is adapted to be connected to a suction source (not shown), and whichis provided at the lower portion with a flange 1 providing means to secure the cylinder 6 onto a support-which may form a part of a treating means for the manufacture or treatment of cigars or cigar fillers. The cylinder 6 has a pipe 5 rotatably disposed therein, and this pipe is adapted to be rotated by means not shown so as to effect the desired swinging or rotary movement of the carrier hereinafter described. I

The suction pipe 5 is provided at the upper end thereof'with a right angularly disposed hollow arm or carrier '4, and the carrier 4 is provided at the free end thereof with a plurality of suction heads generally designated as l, 2 and 3. The suction "heads I, 2, 3 may be arranged radially with respect to the axis of the pipe 5, or may be arranged in any othersuitable manner. In the present instance the heads I and 2 are arranged, as a pair and are operated as a unit, withthe suction head 3 adapted to be operated subsequent to the operation of the heads I and 2,

The. parts comprising the suction heads I, 2 and 3 are identical, and the following description of the suction head I will apply equally as well to the other suction heads except as will be hereinafter noted. p

The suction head I comprises a cylinder l0 disposed at the free end of the arm 4, and a flanged sleeve 1 I is secured in the cylinder lfland is provided at its inner side with an elongated slot 22 communicating with the outer end portion 2| of the arm 4. A boss 9 having a bore coaxial with the axis of the cylinder I0 is detachably secured to the lower end of the cylinder l0, anda sleeve 8 is secured in the bore of the boss 9. 1

A suction nozzle 44 is secured to and extends downwardly of the sleeve 8. The nozzle 44 is open at its lower end, andthe opposite end walls of'the nozzle 44 may be suitably shaped so that the cigar or cigar filler Z will be snugly received therein. The nozzle '44 preferably is provided with parallel side walls of a length sufficient to extend along a considerable portion of the cigar or filler Z.

A hollow rotary piston I2 is mounted in the flanged sleeve or cylinder lining I I, and this pis- '5 ton I2 is open at its lower end and closed at its larger in diameter than the head I3. The lowerend of the bushing or extension I4 bears against the flanged upper end of the sleeve or lining II so that the piston I2 is thereby held against 1ongitudinal movement but is permitted. to have rotary movement therein.

A releasing shaft or rod I6 is mounted in the bore of the extension I4 and extends axially and downwardly through the piston I2, the sleeve 8, andterminatesat its lower end in a releasing member H which is disposed in the suction nozzle 44= Y A collar'or rib is secured to the shaft I6 within the-piston I2 and is adapted to limit theupward movement thereof, the collar or rib 20 being adapted at the end of the upward movement of'the shaft IIt-to bear against theinner side of the head I3. A spring i8 is disposed about the upper end of the shaft. I6 between the upper end of theextension I4 and a collar I9 secured to the shaft ltbelow the upper end thereof. The spring I8 constantly'urges the shaft I6 upwardly so that the rib 2! will bear against the head I3 and the lower end ll of the shaft I6 will be disposed entirely within the nozzle 44 in released position.

The extension or stub I4 hasa gear I5 secured thereto, and: a toothed segment 24 meshes with this gear It. The segment 24 is carried on the outer end-of a swinging-arm 25, the inner'end of which is secured to a shaft 26 journalledlin a bearing 260. secured to a side of the carrier 4. Anarm 21 is secured to the lower end of the shaft and this arm 21. is. provided with a roller 28 which engages in a cam groove 29 provided in a control disk 30; The control disk 3! is supported in a stationary operative position adjacent the upper end of the cylinder 6 by means of lugs 4! and bolts4Ia.

An operating cam 42 is secured to the outer end of the swinging arm or lever 25, and is dis posed in a position such that swinging of the armor lever 25 in one direction under the action of the cam. groove 29 will bring the operating cam 42 into engagement with the upper end of theshaft IE to thereby depress the shaft I6 and move the lower end i! thereof downwardly into engagement with the cigar or filler Z so as to forcibly discharge the cigar or filler Z from the suctionnozzle 44.

The piston I2 is provided in the side thereof with an elongated slot 23 which is adapted to alternately open and cut off the suction of the nozzlett. In open position, the slot 23 is adapted to be in reg-istry with the slot 22. The piston I2 constitutes a rotary valve which is under the control of the cam groove 29' to alternately open or cut off the suction head Iwith the suction pipe 5 upon swinging movement of the carrier 4.

The rotary valve of the suction head 2 has a gear I50, connected thereto, and a toothed segment 34 meshes with the gear I561. The segment 34 is carried by the outer or free end of a swinging arm or lever 35 secured at its inner end to a shaft 36. The shaft 36 has'an arm 31 secured to the lower end thereof and a roller 38 is carried .tion at the leftin a clockwise movement.

by the arm 31 which engages in a cam groove 39 provided in a control disk 40 which is disposed below the control disk 30. An operating cam 42a is secured to the outer end of the lever 35 and is adapted to effect release of a cigar or cigar filler engaged with the suction head 2 in the same manner as the release of the cigar or filler engaged with the suction head I is effected. In the present instance the cam groove 39 is so arranged that the opening and closing of the valve inthe suction head 2,..and the release of the cigar or filler therefrom is effected simultaneously with the release of the cigar or filler from the suction head-I.

The suction head 3 has a gear I5b connected to the valve thereof, and a toothed segment 33 meshes with the gear. I5b, the segment 33 being carried by the outer or free end of an arm or lever 32. The arm or lever 32 is pivoted at its inner end to a shaft journalled in a side of the carrier 4,' and a.,connecting link 3| is connected to the levers 25 and 32 adjacent the. outer or free ends. thereofso that movement. of the lever 25 will efiect a similar movement of the lever 32. In the present instance,.'however, the. cam 4% carried by the outer end of the lever 32 is so arranged as .to-work opposite from the cam 42, that is,.when thecam 42 is holding the shaft I6 in released. position, the cam 42b will be disengagedfrom the shaft. I 62), and. when the cam 42 is in released position the cam. 42b-will be engaged with. the shaft Ifib.

InFig. 3. there isshown a modified form of releasing or discharging means, and in this instance the. shaft I6c is. provided with a forked lower end 43 engaging in the nozzle 4411 which is carriedby the sleeve or pipe 8a. The nozzle 44a and the sleeve 8:; aremounted in a boss 9a which is adapted to be detachably securedto the desired suction head of the. carrier 4. The use of the releasing} member. 43 permits the release of the cigar. or filler from the nozzle 440.. by engagement of the releasing member 43. at spaced points along the cigar or filler so that the operation of the releasing or discharging member will not injure the cigar or filler as might be the case under certain conditions with the releasing member I! which. is adapted to engage the center of the cigar or filler.

In the use and operation of this device, as to the suction heads Iand 2, the carrier 4is adapted in its receiving position-to be swung from a posi- At the left or receiving position,.the valve or piston I2 will be in a position where the slot 23' thereof will be in registry with the. slot 22. of the carrier 4, so that the cigar or filler Z will be firmly held on the suctionnozzle 44. In this position the lower end of the releasing member I! will be entirely within the: suction. nozzle 44 and disengagedfrom the cigar'or filler Z. When. the carrier 4 is swung to'position the heads I and 2 in the proper position, the cam grooves 29 and 39 will eifect' swinging: of'the levers'25 and'35;, respectively, so as to move the slots 23 out of resistry with the slots 22 and thus" cut off the suction.

The cam members 4 2and 4211 are so'positioned on the levers 25 and 35,.respectively,.thatas soon as the suction has been cut off, the cam members 42 and 42a will depress the releasing shafts I5 and ifia respeotively, and instantly discharge the cigars or fillers from the suction nozzles 44. It will be apparent from the foregoing that any dampness of the cigars or fillers which has the effect of causing the: cigars-:01"; fillerssto: stick to scribed embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes andmodifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A carrier for cigars and the like, comprising 1 a suction arm having a suction head for holding the cigars and provided with a shut off valve, a

' support for said arm having cam means thereon,

a lever pivotally mounted on said arm and connected at one end to said shut off valve and engaging at its opposite end in the cam means of the support for operating the valve to shut oflf position when the arm and head are swung into delivery position to release the cigars, an injector mounted on the suction head and having a par-- tion projecting outwardly therefrom, and a tieflecting cam mounted on said lever and movable therewith into engagement with the projecting portion of said ejector to operate the latter and force the cigars from the head when the shut off valve is closed.

2. A carrier for cigars and the like, comprising a suction arm having a head for holding cigars and provided with a rotary valve within the head, a pinion mounted on theupper end of the valve above the head, a normally retracted releaser mountedin the head and having a stem extending upwardly through said pinion, a support for said arm having cam means thereon, and a lever pivotally mounted on the arm with one end engaging the cam means and provided at its other end with a rack bar meshing with said pinionand with a cam projection disposed in the path of 

